Description

Florida DOT recently began requiring submission of Model as a Legal Document (MALD) and signing and sealing of files related to earthwork calculations. One of the projects using Model as a Legal Document was a 4.4 mi. segment of the First Coast Expressway in Jacksonville, a $360 million greenfield highway construction project that included new construction, milling and resurfacing, excavation of unsuitable organic material, and surcharge embankment. For design, the budget was $5.5 million, the schedule was compressed to 12 months, and the team consisted of 5 firms. This presentation focuses on some of the challenges and lessons learned in creation of the required 3D Deliverables. While FDOT has a set of required 3D Deliverables, they do allow some flexibility in determining which files to sign and seal for the MALD. Work through the decision process on which files are best to sign and seal, then hear about workflows and obstacles to avoid when creating various 3D Deliverable surfaces, including: Existing Subgrade, Unsuitable Material, Subsoil Excavation, Surcharge Embankment, Proposed Finish Grade, Milling Surface and Proposed Subgrade. Some of these deliverables are new enough or rare enough that the workflows to create them have not been well documented, so this session will share what worked well for each deliverable on a project of this scale. With subsoil excavation, for example, the project shifted from traditional cross-section based markup to directly modeling 3D elements, surfaces, and closed meshes. Various teams took ownership of their areas. For example, structures 3D modeled bridges and walls, and these models were used to develop grading surfaces in these areas. ITS modeled grading pads; drainage modeled headwalls and ponds. Other challenges arose in generating 3D quantities in a manner that would provide consistent volumes between design and construction software. Usability by construction software was also a factor in determining best file formats to provide with the deliverables. This session is ideally suited for Designers, PMs, and Engineers of Record.